A consummate practitioner of improvisational comedy, comedian Amy Poehler broke into show business while still a college student in Boston, MA. Infamous for her dead-on impersonations, Poehler’s breakthrough came as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 1975- ), where she skewered such celebs as Kelly Ripa, Avril Lavigne and Sharon Osbourne. The wife of fellow actor-comedian, Will Arnette, Poehler began making her way into features around the mid-2000’s, appearing in such crowd-pleasing comedies as “Mean Girls” (2004), “Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny” (2006) and “Blades of Glory” (2007).The daughter of former high school teachers Bill and Eileen Poehler, Amy Poehler was born in Burlington, MA on Sept. 16, 1971. Possessed of a hyper-energetic verve since early childhood, Poehler seemed destined for a life in the comedic arts. Known by the less-than-subtle moniker, “Crazy Amy,” in high school, Poehler headed off to Boston College after graduating in 1993. At Boston, Poehler pursued a degree in media and communications by day, and performed stand-up at local comedy clubs by night. With her big smile and frenetic charm, Poehler quickly became a known commodity around the Boston comedy scene.
After graduation, Poehler moved to Chicago, IL and got involved in acting and improvisational workshops at Second City and later, the ImprovOlympics, where she studied under famed comedy coach Del Close – mentor to such famed “S.N.L.” alums as Gilda Radner, Bill Murray and Chris Farley. During her stint in Chicago, Poehler joined the Upright Citizens Brigade, a sketch improv group formed by Matt Besser and Horatio Sans. Mindful of Chicago’s much lower ceiling for rising talent, Poehler and fellow U.C.B.-er Matt Walsh spearheaded the effort to move the troupe to New York City in the late 1990s. Once in the Big Apple, it was not long before the troupe got its own television show on Comedy Central – “The Upright Citizens Brigade” (1998-2000) – where Poehler did double-duty as both a performer and a writer. Operating from a headquarters known as the "Inner Sanctum," the show’s mission was to spread chaos wherever and whenever possible, undermining figures of authority and disrupting an unstable world. During its three-season run, “The Upright Citizen’s Brigade” became a cult favorite, gaining a loyal fan base.
On television, Poehler created the recurring character of Stacey Richter – the fictional kid sister of co-host Andy Richter – on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” (NBC, 1993- ). In 2001, Poehler made a move up in the world when she landed at “Saturday Night Live,” starting out as a featured player. Promoted to a full regular less than six months later, Poehler became only the second performer in “S.N.L.” history to earn a field promotion mid-season – with Eddie Murphy being the first. As a testament to her obvious talent, Poehler was given the much-coveted co-anchor spot on “Weekend Update,” replacing the über-popular Jimmy Fallon.
Poehler continued her film work throughout her tenure as a Not-Ready-for-Primetime Player. One of her earliest film projects – the dark comedy “Martin & Orloff” (2001) – never got a theatrical release, but was screened at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2002. Poehler’s next role, in the Ben Stiller-Jack Black comedy “Envy” (2004), was another misfire, but Poehler struck gold with her next project – the Lindsay Lohan vehicle, “Mean Girls” (2004). Released the same day as “Envy,” “Mean Girls” – written by Poehler’s fellow “S.N.L.” cast member, Tina Fey – went on to take the top spot during its opening weekend. After making a cameo appearance as a snotty waitress in 2006’s “Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny,” Poehler appeared as herself in director Barry Levinson’s “Man of the Year” (2006).
On a feature film roll, she appeared in “Blades of Glory,” a goofball comedy about two rival ice skaters (Will Ferrell and Jon Heder) who – after being banned-for-life from competition – must reluctantly join forces to form a couple’s routine. In the film, Poehler played one-half of the Van Waldenbergs – a scheming brother-sister duo who are the pair’s main competitors. In an inspired bit of casting, the part of Stranz Van Waldenberg – the partner/brother of Poehler’s character, Fairchild Van Waldenberg – was played to hilarious results by none other than Poehler’s real-life husband, Arnett.
In 2007, Poehler joined fellow funny girls Amy Sedaris and Cheri Oteri as one of three classic fairy tale princesses imprisoned by Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) in the highly anticipated sequel, “Shrek the Third.” Cast as the voice of Snow White, Poehler lent her signature sarcasm to a character best known for her virtue and earnestness. Alongside Sedaris’ Cinderella and Oteri’s Sleeping Beauty, Poehler formed one-third of a high-maintenance trinity that provided a deliciously amusing counterpoint to the movie’s selfless heroine, Princess Fiona (played by Cameron Diaz). As expected, “Shrek the Third” did phenomenal business opening weekend, breaking the record the first sequel had smashed three years prior.